Fortmann Racing 32

10/30/2026

Great way to fight, happy to see RiverBluff Collective finding a way to keep servicing our community and keep their employees working!

10/15/2026

**🏁 SAD POST TIME: SEASON RECAP 🏁**

As much as we hate to see another season come to an end, it’s time to look back on the highs, the lows, and everything in between.

We started the year strong, but as the season progressed, we ran into struggles both with changing track conditions and mechanical issues.

On night four, while racing hammer-down around the top of the track, we broke our nylon flex fan. As I’ve mentioned in previous recaps, I’m still developing as a driver in those conditions. I was so focused on keeping up with the car and the speed that I failed to catch our temperature gauge in time. Before we knew it, we were sitting around 270° water temperature with extremely high oil temperatures.

We tested the engine afterward, thinking we had gotten lucky, but the cooling system continued to give us problems. Over the following weeks, we experienced several more overheating incidents. After chasing the issue and testing everything we could, we’ve come to the conclusion that we likely have either a cracked head or a blown head gasket. The frustrating part is that the engine passes every test when it’s cold, and the problem only seems to show up once it’s warmed up.

Needless to say, it’s a tough way to end the season. But as big of a bummer as it is, we can’t be too upset with what we accomplished.

We won 3 of the 10 races we entered with the Late Model, tried out a new track, and finished 3rd in points despite having DNFs in half our races while fighting these engine issues. It wasn’t the season we wanted, but that’s racing. You get the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, and you learn something from every lap.

**HUNTER’S SPORT MOD SEASON**

Hunter continued to develop as a driver this year. We didn’t get nearly as much track time as we had hoped, but between Mother Nature and everyone’s schedules, we made the most of what we could.

He started the season in the Jake Murray car, and around midseason, we purchased a Slick Chassis. With the inconsistency of the first car, it wasn’t until he got into the new car that he could really start learning, building confidence, and making progress.

Despite the limited seat time, he finished **5th in points** through consistent attendance. We’re excited to see what next year brings with more track time, a bigger schedule, and some different tracks on the calendar!

**OUR TEAM**

A huge thank-you to Steve Miller, Karma Fortmann, Chris Greene, Adam & Shelby Marie Slade, and Hunter Fortmann.

Every one of you has helped make this team what it is today. We wouldn’t have a fraction of the success we’ve had without your time, effort, support, and dedication. Racing is never a one-person operation, and we’re incredibly grateful to have you all in our corner.

**OUR MARKETING PARTNERS**

We also want to give a huge thank-you to all of our incredible marketing partners:

Turpin Dodge Body Shop
Beidler Towing Inc.
Dan and Sons Snowplowing
RiverBluff Collective
B&G Services
T&T Iron & Metals, Inc.
Mcauliffe Excavating
K***s Monster Garage
Nelson Tire Recycling

Thank you to everyone who supports us, believes in what we’re doing, and helps us continue chasing these dreams. Your support means more than you know!

**A SPECIAL THANK-YOU TO TURPIN DODGE BODY SHOP**

This one is especially close to home.

Terry Fortmann, my father, is the shop manager and lead body man at Turpin Dodge Body Shop. He has supported us since the very beginning. Over the years, he has purchased the bodies that help make our cars look great and has even given us bonus money for every win.

That support has meant the world to us, not just financially, but emotionally. Having that kind of support from the very beginning is something we’ll never take for granted.

Unfortunately, this will be the last year you’ll see Turpin Dodge Body Shop on our cars. My dad has busted his butt his entire life, and he’s finally getting the well-deserved retirement he has earned.

Dad, thank you for everything you’ve done for us, for the sacrifices you’ve made, and for always helping us chase this dream. We’re proud of you, and we’re grateful for every bit of support you’ve given us.

**RIVER BLUFF COLLECTIVE**

DJ, Joe, and Ali — thank you for everything!

River Bluff Collective has been on our cars since 2021. What started through mutual friends grew into a relationship and friendship of our own, and we’re incredibly thankful for that.

Unfortunately, legislative changes have forced River Bluff Collective to close its local doors, putting 19 members of the River Bluff family out of work. It’s not fair, and it’s not right, but they continue to fight for their families and customers.

This is a family business that has supported events throughout our community and done outstanding work for our veterans. They’ve been so much more than a name on our race cars, and it’s heartbreaking to see this chapter come to an end.

Their doors are scheduled to close on November 1st. If you have the opportunity, please stop in, show your support, and help them however you can while there’s still time.

DJ, Joe, and Ali, thank you for being part of our journey since 2021. We appreciate you more than words can say, and we’re proud to call you friends.

**WELCOME TO THE TEAM: Comet Manufacturing**

While we’re saying goodbye to some great partners, we’re also excited to welcome a new marketing partner to the team — **Comet Manufacturing!**

Mike Weidemann is a highly skilled fabricator, graphic designer, and supplier who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. We already use his Steering Assist to help load and move the car around the property, and he’s become our go-to guy for local parts and advice.

Mike and I have spent countless hours talking about race cars and sharing old stories from the track. His experience as a racer, chassis builder, and graphic designer speaks for itself.

We’re excited to have him on board and look forward to building this relationship in the seasons ahead. Go give Comet Manufacturing a follow and check out what Mike has to offer!

This season may not have ended the way we hoped, but we’re walking away with wins, lessons learned, friendships built, and plenty of motivation for what’s next.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey. We’ll regroup, get the cars figured out, and be back chasing checkered flags before you know it!

09/28/2026

Had to run some tests on the engine today, and we’ve got to give a HUGE shoutout to Mike Weidemann with Comet Manufacturing for building these awesome steering assists!
They make loading the car into the trailer so much easier, and today I was able to push the car around with the quad without having to stop and manually turn the wheels 100 times. Being able to steer the car right from the quad made things safer, easier, and way more efficient today.

It’s the simple things that make life easier, and this definitely does the trick! 👌

Shoot Mike a message and help support your program — you won’t regret it!

$550 with FREE SHIPPING through November 1st!

Thanks again, Mike! 🏁

09/13/2026

Well, we’re home from Boone, and it was definitely an interesting week.

Monday night we drew another bad pill, starting 9th in the heat. We were able to work our way up to 5th, just missing the transfer by two spots. We started 3rd in the B-Main but definitely missed the setup, and I didn’t realize I still had full rear brake in the car. We ended up dropping back to 6th, which was the final transfer spot.

Starting 23rd in the feature, we worked our way up to 17th before the top locked down around laps 10-15. At that point, we just rode around in 17th waiting for the race to end. I noticed the water temp was well within range, but for some reason our oil temp was higher than we prefer. We decided to pull off, which maybe wasn’t the right call. About five laps later, a caution came out and allowed some guys to gain quite a few positions. But that’s racing.

A huge thank you to Adam and Chris for all their help in the pits and for helping transport the race trailer. We definitely couldn’t do it without you guys!

Tuesday through Saturday, we got to hang out with our Boone friends and just enjoy our time down there. A big thank you to Darrel, Neil, Cody, Taylor, Jordan, and even Todd for making us feel so welcome. This year was definitely different not having our crew down there with us for the whole week, but you guys made it a great week regardless.

For now, our race season is at a standstill while we do some testing on the engine. We had plans to hit East Moline, Fall Bash, and the Miller 100 to finish out the year, but until we get some answers, I’m unable to commit to those races just yet.

We’ll get some testing done, figure out what’s going on, and go from there. Thank you to everyone who continues to support us — it means more than you know! 🏁

09/10/2026

Heck yes!!! Kyle Olson on the main win tonight at IMCA Super Nationals!!! Heck yea man keep digging!!!!

09/01/2026

Race recap brought to you by RiverBluff Collective

Proudly Veteran- and Woman-Owned, RiverBluff Collective is your go-to source for the highest-quality products that always deliver. RiverBluff is a multi-product collective offering innovative, plant-infused products designed to improve and enhance people's lives. Their longstanding expertise and in-depth product knowledge allow them to create exciting new products, source the highest-quality cannabis, and educate our community on how to best incorporate these plants into their lifestyles.

Well Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway rained out on their season championship and doesn’t sound like they have the confidence to have a make up date, but we headed to East Moline Speedway to check out a new track to us and get another race in this season.

First off I need to congratulate East Moline Speedway their staff was super friendly knowing I was coming in a hurry from Dubuque and helped me get all the paperwork done so we could get the car ready for the new track. Their track crew did one hell of a job for dealing with the rain the racing surface was great and they ran a super efficient show. I was truly impressed after hearing all year how bad it was down there, when in truth it was the exact opposite.

So the night started off in a rush just getting to the track we had a lot of help from Claeys Racing for saving us a spot by them and helping with advice a gear options. Little did we know at the time we ran different ratio rear ends! Lol. Went out in hot laps and the heat feeling terrible only turned 5200 rpm before Ryan’s dad realized the mistake. Thanks to Travis Denning Motorsports for lending us a gear for the feature and it made a world of a difference for 2.5 laps… we broke RR shock mount / bolt. I know bad luck tour continues with 4 DNF in a row, but in those 2.5 laps we passed 4 cars ran out of the preferred line and still made up time. We found a few issues with the suspension that could be adding to my uncomfortableness in the car so that’s a plus. Either way came home last and yet considered it one of our more enjoyable nights this year. Also big thanks to Gary Webb Racing for the enjoyable conversation, advice, and old stories from the past. That was one of the highlights of our night! Thanks to our great marketing partners, fans, and great crew that continue to support us! Now onto IMCA Super Nationals!!!

Big thanks to TRR Photography - Tristan Reames for the great photos!! Sorry I made your job hard but you did great in making us look a little fast anyway!! Make sure to give his page a like and follow!!

08/26/2026

Race recap brought to you by Nelson Tire Recycling! They specialize in eco friendly, pest resistant, wire free rubber mulch that comes in 8 colors with a 12 year color guarantee included. They supply consumers in the Dyersville, Cedar rapids, and Dubuque area with high grade rubber mulch.

So needless to say with the late model we could win the lottery and not be able to buy good luck! We had our third DNF in a row. In the heat race we had a good battle going for the lead and the nose folded under causing us to pull in. Being the only car to not make the invert we started last in the feature. We were making decent progress being patient and picking up spots when the caution came out. Under the long caution we noticed the temp was higher than we would like. We took the green and took it easy around the bottom to see if it was warm from the caution or if there was another issue. Few laps later caution came out again and we gained another 10 degrees causing me to pull in where we noticed the lower radiator hose got knocked off the radiator ending our night. Oil temps were normal so don’t feel we hurt the engine just sucks the end another night with a DNF.

Track has definitely been difficult for us these past hand full of nights, with moving us around the order of events, rain fall, and water truck getting extra mileage we have failed to make the right adjustments. Ive always struggled on heavier tracks and prefer slicker slower tracks, with the car and me as a driver. There’s no excuse for that, I have to do better as the driver because “we” as in the rest of the team are putting in the work. I struggle to keep up with the race when we are running wide open bouncing through the corners trying not to miss my marks around the top. I know this is a comfort issue, I rely so much on what I feel from the car and I’ve been numb to the feeling just struggling to hold on.

Sport Mod, Hunter is still working on being more comfortable in the car and has made great improvements. He’s finally willing to go full throttle down the straights! He still has a lot to learn but is up running with the back of the field running his race and learning how to pass and avoid wrecks.

Definitely thankful for our supporters who stick with us through these lows it definitely makes the highs that much more gratifying.

Photo credit to MercedeSweet Photography make sure to like and follow her page!!!

07/27/2026

It’s fair week at Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway!!!

Wednesday:

The IMCA Late Model will remain in the shop since the Karl Karl Chevrolet Premier Late Model Touroming to town, and our little old crate just isn’t up to par with their rule package. We’d really love to compete, but we just don’t have the horsepower in the stable to compete.

Sunday:

We’ll have both the IMCA Late Model and the Sport Mod competing in the Julian Dubuque Classic!

We’ve spent this past week going through both cars, especially the Late Model. We haven’t been slow the last two shows, but we also haven’t had the speed we know is in the car. We found a few issues and are hopeful those fixes will get us headed back in the right direction!

Be sure to come out and support Hunter! As a rookie and one of the sport’s young talents, he’s part of the future of dirt track racing, along with many others in his class.

Thank you, everyone, for your continued support! Be sure to click the link in the comments and check out our merch store!

07/22/2026

LINK to RACE SHIRTS, SWEATSHIRTS , and HATS

Well, people have been asking, and we have answered! Thanks to Jason Frommelt for hooking us up, we finally have apparel available!!!

Click the link below to open the store! A huge thanks to the folks at Angry Duck Graphics for making this next phase of the process as easy as Amazon!!! Fill your cart, make your payment, and our merchandise will ship directly to you!

A collection of Terry Fortmann apparel, hats and more!

07/21/2026

Race recap brought to you by RiverBluff Collective

Proudly Veteran- and Woman-Owned, RiverBluff Collective is your go-to source for the highest-quality products that always deliver. RiverBluff is a multi-product collective offering innovative, plant-infused products designed to improve and enhance people's lives. Their longstanding expertise and in-depth product knowledge allow them to create exciting new products, source the highest-quality cannabis, and educate our community on how to best incorporate these plants into their lifestyles.

Sunday night... well, to put it mildly, we struggled.

With all the hoopla that happened a couple of weeks ago, we forgot about one little bit of information we learned during tech after our third win. We were legal, of course, but our droop was more than we expected. I was supposed to investigate why, but I completely forgot. Everything we've been feeling in the car over the past two weeks points to what is possibly the same issue.

That said, we still made progress. In the heat race, we went from 5th to 4th, and in the feature, we worked our way from 8th to 5th. It definitely wasn't a night to write home about, but we logged a lot of laps during the feature and were able to really diagnose what I was feeling in the car.

I truly couldn't do this without my supportive crew, fans, and marketing partners. I promise we'll get back to where we were in terms of speed. It may not be another streak of multiple feature wins in a row, but we'll get back to being competitive. No matter what, our team never gives up!

Thank you, MercedeSweet Photography, for the photos! Make sure to give her page a like and follow if you haven't already!